Sally Can't Dance was Lou Reed's best-selling album up to that point, an irony the artist himself was quick to note with bitterness. Produced with a more commercial and pop orientation, the record sacrificed some of Reed's characteristic avant-garde in favor of more accessible arrangements.
Despite its commercial concessions, the album contains brilliant moments: 'Kill Your Sons', an autobiographical attack on the psychiatric treatments he suffered in his youth, and the title track, which captures the ironic and dark spirit that always defined Reed. The tension between the artist and his record label is palpable in every song.
Reed publicly disowned Sally Can't Dance shortly after its release, describing it as work that didn't reflect his artistic intentions. Nevertheless, the album occupies an honest place in his discography as a testament to the pressures of the 1970s music business.